Niue
Background: Niue's remoteness, as well as cultural and linguistic differences between its Polynesian inhabitants and those of the rest of the Cook Islands, have caused it to be separately administered. The population of the island continues to drop (from a peak of 5,200 in 1966 to 2,100 in 2000) with substantial emigration to New Zealand.
Location: Oceania, island in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Tonga Geographic coordinates: 19 02 S, 169 52 W Map references: Oceania Area:
Area - comparative: 1.5 times the size of Washington, DC Land boundaries: 0 km Coastline: 64 km Maritime claims:
Climate: tropical; modified by southeast trade winds Terrain: steep limestone cliffs along coast, central plateau Elevation extremes:
Natural resources: fish, arable land Land use:
Irrigated land: NA sq km Natural hazards: typhoons Environment - current issues: increasing attention to conservationist practices to counter loss of soil fertility from traditional slash and burn agriculture Environment - international agreements:
Geography - note: one of world's largest coral islands
Population: 2,113 (July 2000 est.) Age structure:
Population growth rate: 0.47% (2000 est.) Birth rate: NA births/1,000 population Death rate: NA deaths/1,000 population Net migration rate: NA migrant(s)/1,000 population Infant mortality rate: NA deaths/1,000 live births Life expectancy at birth:
Total fertility rate: NA children born/woman Nationality:
Ethnic groups: Polynesian (with some 200 Europeans, Samoans, and Tongans) Religions: Ekalesia Niue (Niuean Church - a Protestant church closely related to the London Missionary Society) 75%, Latter-Day Saints 10%, other 15% (mostly Roman Catholic, Jehovah's Witnesses, Seventh-Day Adventist) Languages: Polynesian closely related to Tongan and Samoan, English Literacy:
Country name:
Data code: NE Dependency status: self-governing in free association with New Zealand; Niue fully responsible for internal affairs; New Zealand retains responsibility for external affairs Government type: self-governing parliamentary democracy Capital: Alofi Administrative divisions: none; note - there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 14 villages each with its own village council whose members are elected and serve three-year terms Independence: on 19 October 1974, Niue became a self-governing parliamentary government in free association with New Zealand National holiday: Waitangi Day, 6 February (1840) (Treaty of Waitangi established British sovereignty) Constitution: 19 October 1974 (Niue Constitution Act) Legal system: English common law Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal Executive branch:
Legislative branch:
unicameral Legislative Assembly (20 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve three-year terms; six elected from a common roll and 14 are village representatives)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court of New Zealand; High Court of Niue Political parties and leaders: Niue People's Action Party or NPP [Young VIVIAN] International organization participation: ESCAP (associate), Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UNESCO, WHO, WMO Diplomatic representation in the US: none (self-governing territory in free association with New Zealand) Diplomatic representation from the US: none (self-governing territory in free association with New Zealand) Flag description: yellow with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant; the flag of the UK bears five yellow five-pointed stars - a large one on a blue disk in the center and a smaller one on each arm of the bold red cross
Economy - overview: The economy is heavily dependent on aid and remittances from New Zealand. Government expenditures regularly exceed revenues, and the shortfall is made up by grants from New Zealand which are used to pay wages to public employees. Niue has cut government expenditures by reducing the public service by almost half. The agricultural sector consists mainly of subsistence gardening, although some cash crops are grown for export. Industry consists primarily of small factories to process passion fruit, lime oil, honey, and coconut cream. The sale of postage stamps to foreign collectors is an important source of revenue. The island in recent years has suffered a serious loss of population because of migration of Niueans to New Zealand. Efforts to increase GDP include the promotion of tourism and a financial services industry. GDP: purchasing power parity - $4.5 million (1994 est.) GDP - real growth rate: NA% GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $2,250 (1994 est.) GDP - composition by sector:
Population below poverty line: NA% Household income or consumption by percentage share:
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1% (1995) Labor force: 450 (1992 est.) Labor force - by occupation: most work on family plantations; paid work exists only in government service, small industry, and the Niue Development Board Unemployment rate: NA% Budget:
Industries: tourism, handicrafts, food processing Industrial production growth rate: NA% Electricity - production: 3 million kWh (1998) Electricity - production by source:
Electricity - consumption: 3 million kWh (1998) Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (1998) Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (1998) Agriculture - products: coconuts, passion fruit, honey, limes, taro, yams, cassava (tapioca), sweet potatoes; pigs, poultry, beef cattle Exports: $117,500 (f.o.b., 1989) Exports - commodities: canned coconut cream, copra, honey, passion fruit products, pawpaws, root crops, limes, footballs, stamps, handicrafts Exports - partners: NZ 89%, Fiji, Cook Islands, Australia Imports: $4.1 million (c.i.f., 1989) Imports - commodities: food, live animals, manufactured goods, machinery, fuels, lubricants, chemicals, drugs Imports - partners: NZ 59%, Fiji 20%, Japan 13%, Samoa, Australia, US Debt - external: $NA Economic aid - recipient: $8.3 million (1995) Currency: 1 New Zealand dollar (NZ$) = 100 cents Exchange rates: New Zealand dollars (NZ$) per US$1 - 1.9451 (January 2000), 1.8889 (1999), 1.8629 (1998), 1.5082 (1997), 1.4543 (1996), 1.5235 (1995) Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March
Telephones - main lines in use: 376 (1991) Telephones - mobile cellular: 0 (1991) Telephone system:
Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0 (1998) Radios: 1,000 (1997) Television broadcast stations: 1 (1997) Televisions: NA Internet Service Providers (ISPs): NA
Railways: 0 km Highways:
Ports and harbors: none; offshore anchorage only Merchant marine: none (1999 est.) Airports: 1 (1999 est.) Airports - with paved runways:
Military branches: Police Force Military - note: defense is the responsibility of New Zealand
Disputes - international: none |
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